Grip for fire-escapes



(No Model.)

W. M. TOMPKINS.

GRIP FOR FIRE ESGAPES. N0. 380,30Z.- Patented Mar. 27, 1888,

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\VILLIAll-I M. TOMPKINS, O

PATENT F BATAVIA, NEW YORK.

GRIP FOR FlRE-ESCAPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,302, dated March2'7, 1888.

Application filed September 7, 1887. Serial No. 219,024. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. TOMPKINS, of Batavia, in the county ofGenesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Grips forFire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a hand-grip by means of whichpersons are enabled to slide down a rope without lacerating their hands;and the nature of my invention will be fully set forth in the followingspeci fication and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my grip. Fig. 2 is anend view, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures.

A A are semi-cylindrical jaws, each jaw being formed of a hollowsemicircular shell, to the inside of which is riveted at each end asemicircular piece of metal, at, having a groove, a, the surface ofwhich groove is corrugated or roughened, for the purpose hereinafterspecified.

B B are springs riveted to each end of the jaws, and serving to keep thejaws slightly apart. These springs are braced together by means of thebar 0. Y

b b are lips secured to the outer surface of the shells, longitudinallythereof, one to each shell and on opposite sides, and are for thepurpose of preventing the jaws from pinch ing the hand when they areclosed together.

In using the device the jaws are opened sufficiently to admit the rope,and the pressure of the hand will close them around the rope, theroughened surface of the groove 0. serving to prevent the grip fromsliding on the rope too freely.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a grip, the combination of the two semi-cylindrical jaws A A withthe springs B B and brace G, substantially as specified.

2. The semicylindrical jaws A, consisting of hollow shells having thesemicircular pieces of metal, a, riveted to each end, the said pieces ofmetal having a groove, to, the surface of which is roughened, combinedwith the springs B, brace O,and lips b,sulostantially as specified.

In testimony that I claimtheforegoing as my own I affiX my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

WM. IVI. TOMPKINS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. HOLDEN, CARLOS A. HULL.

